The years after the founding of the United States of America were not as simple as many might have you believe. Money was scarce, and the fledging nation was trying everything it could to establish itself as an authoritative force. The first real test for the newly formed government was known as the Whiskey Rebellion. At the time, nearly 25 percent of the country's distilleries were owned by just 1 percent of the population. Because whiskey was so easy to transport, and because it was a commodity that almost everyone needed, it was often considered equivalent with cash. The United States government, under the instruction of then Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, imposed an excise tax on all distilled spirits. The goal of the tax was to help reduce the incurred debt from the American Revolution, but many farmers and distillers saw the tax as no different than the British taxes from which they had recently freed themselves.
Tax collectors were sent throughout the country to collect from those who used spirits as a medium for trade, but many of those producers had no interest in paying the taxmen. Several tax collectors were even tarred and feathered by angry mobs of citizens. The height of the rebellion came about in 1794, when large groups of protesters destroyed the home of John Neville, his district's excise inspector.
It was in the time leading up to these rebellions that the first examples of the Whiskey Rebellion Flag began to fly. Just as rebels in the American colonies had elected officials to represent them during the Revolution, members of the Whiskey Rebellion formed their own assembly to better represent the interests they felt were being ignored by Congress. The Whiskey Rebellion Flag, with its 13 stars surrounding a majestic eagle carrying a red and white striped banner, came to be the icon of those Americans trying to defend themselves. While historians argue over who created the design, it has been agreed that this flag was one of the most important symbols in our nation's history. It was only used briefly, but those who stood beneath it hoped to leave behind a stronger legacy, one that portrays a sense that the people of the United States
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The years after the founding of the United States of America were not as simple as many might have you believe. Money was scarce, and the fledging nation was trying everything it could to establish itself as an authoritative force. The first real test for the newly formed government was known as the Whiskey Rebellion. At the time, nearly 25 percent of the country's distilleries were owned by just 1 percent of the population. Because whiskey was so easy to transport, and because it was a commodity that almost everyone needed, it was often considered equivalent with cash. The United States government, under the instruction of then Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, imposed an excise tax on all distilled spirits. The goal of the tax was to help reduce the incurred debt from the American Revolution, but many farmers and distillers saw the tax as no different than the British taxes from which they had recently freed themselves.
Tax collectors were sent throughout the country to collect from those who used spirits as a medium for trade, but many of those producers had no interest in paying the taxmen. Several tax collectors were even tarred and feathered by angry mobs of citizens. The height of the rebellion came about in 1794, when large groups of protesters destroyed the home of John Neville, his district's excise inspector.
It was in the time leading up to these rebellions that the first examples of the Whiskey Rebellion Flag began to fly. Just as rebels in the American colonies had elected officials to represent them during the Revolution, members of the Whiskey Rebellion formed their own assembly to better represent the interests they felt were being ignored by Congress. The Whiskey Rebellion Flag, with its 13 stars surrounding a majestic eagle carrying a red and white striped banner, came to be the icon of those Americans trying to defend themselves. While historians argue over who created the design, it has been agreed that this flag was one of the most important symbols in our nation's history. It was only used briefly, but those who stood beneath it hoped to leave behind a stronger legacy, one that portrays a sense that the people of the United States